Worldwide Beekeeping
Beekeeping => General Beekeeping => Topic started by: litefoot on May 03, 2014, 11:38:04 am
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Well my lack of attention this Spring has been rewarded with a couple of swarms in my yard. I'll talk more about all that on another post. Here's what a really want to ask: Looks like I need to shake out a laying worker colony and then I thought I would take a frame with some swarm cells out of another hive and place them in this hive to requeen it. Good idea, bad idea? Or would I be better off introducing a frame of eggs.
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If you have them available, I would add both, but not shake them out. If I shake one out, I put the hive away and force them to take up with other hives.
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Tefer mentioned in another thread putting the laying worker hive above a queen right hive with a double screen bottom board between them.. It is a great idea.
The general consensus of others I have discussed this with, and it has also been mentioned here before... is to add a frame of brood.. wait a week, and then either add another frame of brood or try introducing a queen.. they will in theory raise their own queen or be ready to accept a new queen/cell because the first frame of brood.. OR.. the smell of pheromone from the brood in the queen right hive will suppress the laying workers..
I really like the screen between idea, but am thinking that frame of brood will strengthen the laying worker hive...
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I really don't get the concept of shaking out a laying worker hive. It certainly hasn't worked for me and I just don't see how it could. They're workers, they can fly right back in. What's to stop them?
I introduce a queen just like I normally would, I just don't pull the cork for a few days. I give them a little longer time to get used to the queen, the I pull the candy end cork and let the bees release her in their own time. It hasn't failed me yet.
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How can they fly right back in if the hive is gone?
The concept of shaking them out is to make those who can pick a new (Queen right) hive to support.
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If you have them available, I would add both, but not shake them out. If I shake one out, I put the hive away and force them to take up with other hives.
Wow! Good idea, thanks for sharing that info Iddee.
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Well, I introduced eggs into the hive in question a while ago and got one queen cell, but no sign of the queen (i.e. brood) for a long time until a couple of days when a quick inspection revealed a couple of patches of drone brood. I feared the worst, but in hindsight I should not have fretted so much since the drone brood patterns were tight. Anyway, today, I found worker brood so all is well. Thanks to all who responded. Really good ideas. Thanks!